Cadre, we’re pumped to share some some exciting news about our next beer release, Pale Joe! Here’s the scoop, shared with you first:

Pale Joe, a pale ale brewed with coffee, has appeared previously on draft in our taproom and we’re excited to now package and distribute it beginning this September. Each year we brew a beer to benefit ArtPrize, the world’s largest art competition held annually in our hometown of Grand Rapids, MI. Pale Joe will be the fourth installation in the series.

Most coffee beers begin with a dark, stout or brown ale base. Not this one. Your eyes will tell you one thing, but your palate will tell you another. Light in color but full in flavor, this golden ale features notes of gently roasted, fruit-forward coffee. Pale Joe features a special blend of high-end Ethiopian coffee expertly roasted by our hometown neighbors at Ferris Coffee and Nut. It’s the lovechild of your favorite iced coffee and, well, beer. Pale Joe comes in at 5.4% ABV.

“Pale Joe came out of my current infatuation with pale, sessionable beers,” says our Brewmaster,  Jeremy Kosmicki, “Being the ArtPrize beer, I wanted to play with expectations so I experimented with adding coffee to a lighter, pale ale. Turns out, using gently-roasted, fruit-forward coffee adds a nice roasty flavor that does not compete with the malts in the beer.”

Founders Family members were given the opportunity to submit their portfolios to find an artistic match for the Pale Joe label, without knowing anything about the beer. Lead Cellar Operator, Aaron Rossell, was chosen for his striking character illustrations and unexpected use of color. Aaron developed the character of Pale Joe, a leathery, dirty-overalled man as a symbol of  blue-collar, hardworking, coffee-sipping Midwestern farmers with the hope that he can help bridge the gap between artists and common-folk.

Pale Joe will be available on draft and in 6-pack, 12oz bottles starting in September in Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, New York City and Boston. It will also be released on draft in limited amounts across our remaining distribution network.